The Cincinnati Bengals finished the 2015 regular season at 12-4, their best record since the 1988 season when they made the Super Bowl. The Bengals though, failed to make it past the Wild Card round of the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
The Bengals have brought back some key pieces on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, but have lost two big weapons on offense, as wide receiver Mohamed Sanu landed with the Atlanta Falcons and wide receiver Marvin Jones signed with the Detroit Lions. The Bengals were expecting big things from their team in 2015, but lost their starting quarterback Andy Dalton down the stretch of the season after he fractured his right thumb on his throwing hand.
Dalton was having a career-season, as he was completing a career-high 66.1 percent of his passes for 3,250 yards with 25 touchdowns to a career-low seven interceptions in 13 games. It was the first season in Dalton's five-year career that he had not thrown double-digit interceptions. He seemed to be proving himself as one of the top-tier quarterbacks in the league. While Cincinnati has lost two significant players at the wide receiver position this offseason, Dalton is not concerned and feels that his time in the league has prepared him to handle change.
"It would be tougher if it was my first or second year but this year six," said Dalton. "It's easier for me now than early on in my career. That is going to be fun. We've got these guys from the start; we've got to get them exactly where we want them to be. I have to make sure they know what I want to do on certain things and make sure they're in the right spots. You don't want to have any fall off at all. You want to get better."
Dalton still has two star offensive weapons in wide receiver A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert returning next season, and many draft analysts have projected Cincinnati to select a wide receiver in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The Bengals have also acquired former Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell in free agency. LaFell has shown the ability to be a solid second receiver in the league.
It will be interesting to watch how the Bengals new receiving core shapes up in 2016, but expect Cincinnati to still be in contention next season, as they still have one of the most talented rosters in the league.
